The Sharkey Institute

Tag Archives: College Sports

Many Think Settlement with Kaepernick is Admission of Collusion by NFL

45 percent of those polled across the nation said they believed the settlement with Colin Kaepernick was an admission of collusion by the NFL.

By 3-to-1, public thinks Kaepernick’s chance of a new contract in the NFL has now decreased.

South Orange NJ, March 4, 2019 – In a national poll, 45 percent of the public said that they believe the confidential settlement of Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL for collusion was essentially an admission of guilt on the part of the NFL. On the other side, 40 said it was not an admission. Of those polled, 15 percent said they did not know or had no opinion.

White people were evenly divided on whether the settlement amounted to an admission of collusion by the NFL, but African-Americans said they believe it is by a 3 to 1 margin.

Kaepernick is credited with beginning the “anthem protests” in the NFL which drew ire and even boycotts from many football fans as well as President Trump. Although a past poll had shown 32 percent of Americans supported Kaepernick’s protests, which were intended to draw attention to racism in America, roughly 44 percent disapproved, with the rest (24 percent) either having no opinion or not knowing.

In the same poll (September 28, 2017), when asked whether or not NFL players should be ordered to stand for the national anthem or be fired from the team as President Trump had suggested, only 18 percent responded “yes.”

Kaepernick became a free agent in early 2017 and was not hired by any NFL team. He brought suit against the NFL for collusion in keeping him out of the league. He was not hired for the 2018 season either.

Results consistent with 2017 findings

With 45 percent of those polled across the nation saying they believed the settlement was an admission by the NFL that collusion against Kaepernick took place, the overall finding was consistent with the Seton Hall Sports Poll of 2017, which queried the public on why they thought Kaepernick had not yet been hired by any NFL team. Then “47 percent felt it was because of his protests and 19 percent because he wasn’t good enough.”

“I would imagine the court settlement stipulated that there was no admission of collusion by the NFL, but in the court of public opinion, not everyone buys that,” said Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute in the Stillman School of Business. “The bottom line is that given that each NFL team has a quarterback and two backups, it’s difficult to understand outside of the context of the anthem protests why Colin Kaepernick, who played in a Super Bowl a few years ago, was unable to land a job even as a backup to the backup.”

For these most recent findings, 794 adult Americans were polled on both landlines and cellphones, with a margin of +/- 3.5%.

New Job for Kaepernick in the NFL?

Regarding Kaepernick’s future prospects of a job in the NFL, the margins weren’t nearly as close as those regarding an admission of collusion. By more than a 3-1 margin (41-13%), respondents believed that Kaepernick’s chance of being signed to a new NFL contract has decreased because of the settlement.

Impact of Settlement on Protests

The settlement of Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL also finds the nation evenly divided on its impact on his protests. By a margin of 44 to 42 percent (14 percent not knowing or having no opinion), the public says the settlement has not diminished the impact of Kaepernick’s protest.

While white respondents were evenly divided on whether the settlement diminished the impact of the protests, by 2 to 1, African-Americans believe that it does diminish the impact.

Disapproval of University of Mississippi Basketball Protesters

In a related matter, by a 42 to 29 percent margin (29 percent did not know or had no opinion), people disapproved of the University of Mississippi basketball players kneeling last weekend to protest an on-campus rally honoring Confederate soldiers. That margin draws a close comparison to the September 2017 Kaepernick findings. However, 12 out of 13 African-Americans offered support of the protest.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

This poll was conducted by telephone February 25-27 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

RESULTS

Eight men’s basketball players on the University of Mississippi team knelt during the national anthem last Saturday in response to a pro-Confederate rally taking place on campus. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion of the players’ action?

1 – Approve 29%

2 – Disapprove 42

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 29

Colin Kaepernick recently won a settlement of a lawsuit from the NFL accusing the league of collusion by teams not signing him because of his protests during the national anthem. Do you think his acceptance of a settlement diminishes the impact of his protest?

1 – Yes 42

2 – No 44

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 15

Do you think the NFL’s offer of a settlement is an admission that collusion against Kaepernick took place?

1 – Yes 45

2 – No 40

3 – Don’t know 15

Do you think the settled lawsuit has increased, decreased or has had no effect on Kaepernick’s chances of being signed to an NFL contract and continuing his career?

1 – Increased 13

2 – Decreased 41

3 – Had no effect 46

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

Did Zion’s Sneaker Explosion Hurt the Nike Brand? Nearly One in Five Say ‘Yes’

Majority feels student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for wearing their brands; less support for them receiving pay for playing revenue producing sports

South Orange NJ, March 1, 2019 — It was the sneaker explosion heard round the world, when Duke’s Zion Williamson’s Nike went poof last week in a game against North Carolina. Did all the publicity hurt the Nike brand?

According to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, nearly 1-in-5 respondents said it was the indicator of the quality of the brand. More than two thirds, 67%, felt it was a one-time fluke.

“That’s a good percentage favoring the one-time mishap,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “But 18% (those who felt it represented the brand’s quality), is not a small number. Nike has some rebuilding work ahead – of its image, not just its sneakers.”

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, with questions asked of 794 adult Americans on landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

Compensation for Student Athletes

Meanwhile, a majority of Americans believe that student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for the use of their brands in collegiate athletics if they are required to wear the brand, and that students in revenue producing sports – like football and basketball – should receive compensation on top of scholarships and cost of attendance stipends.

On the question of financial compensation for student athletes from sneaker companies – like Nike and Adidas – , the public says “yes” by a margin of 57-36%.

On the question of compensation for participation in revenue generating sports, the margin was closer, with 49% saying “yes” and 46% saying “no.” And while white respondents are in favor of “sneaker compensation” by a 54-41% margin, African-Americans are in favor by 3-1.

While the public is pretty evenly split on student/athlete compensation for play, 49-46%, whites are more negative at 40-54%, while African-Americans are strongly in favor by a margin of 5-to-1.

The 49% overall in favor of compensating student athletes for playing is a significant jump from the result when the question was asked four years ago. In the November 2015 Seton Hall Sports Poll only 36% said “yes – compensate,” while 57% opposed the idea — compared to this week’s finding of 49% in favor, 46% opposed.

Should Zion Play?
With Zion Williamson considered by many a likely number one draft pick by the NBA, the question of his continued participation in Duke’s schedule arose, considering the millions of dollars at risk should he reinjure himself. By a 47-27% showing, the public felt he should continue playing.

An even wider margin – 59-30% – said that college football draft hopefuls should play in bowl games at the end of their seasons, even with the draft looming. The question noted that a number of them did in fact, choose not to play.

Results breakdown below; this release may be found online at http://blogs.shu.edu/sportspoll/2019/03/01/did-zions-sneaker-explosion-hurt-the-nike-brand-nearly-one-in-five-say-yes/

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

This poll was conducted by telephone February 25-27 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

Last Wednesday, Duke basketball standout Zion Williamson injured his knee when his Nike sneaker burst apart 30 seconds into a game. Do you think this incident is an indicator of the quality of the Nike brand or do you think it was just a one-time fluke?

1 – Indicator of quality of brand 18

2 – One time fluke 67

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 15

Do you think student/athletes should receive some financial compensation from the sneaker company — like Nike or Adidas — if they are required to wear the company’s shoes due to an arrangement between the sneaker company and the university?

1 – Yes 57

2 – No 36

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 6

Do you think student/athletes should be financially compensated, in addition to a scholarship and cost of attendance stipend, for participating in revenue producing sports, such as men’s basketball and football?

1 – Yes 49

2 – No 46

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 5

Do you think Zion Williamson, the probable number one choice in this year’s NBA draft, should decline to play for Duke for the remainder of the season in order to insure that further injury doesn’t hurt his NBA draft status or should he continue playing for the remainder of the season?

1 – Decline to play 27

2 – Continue playing 47

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 26

During the past college football season, several NFL draft hopefuls decided to not participate in their team’s bowl games for fear that injury could negatively affect their draft status. Do you think this was a smart move on the part of the players or should they have played and shown loyalty to their schools and teammates

1 – Smart move 30

2 – Should have played 59

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 11

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

As leagues move towards embrace of gambling, 70% say they’re more likely to watch a game if they wager, but 61% say it will lead to cheating or fixed games.

South Orange, NJ, November 30, 2018 — If you bet that wagering on a game leads to greater viewership – you’d be right. A survey by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 70% of Americans say they would be more likely to watch a game they bet on.

In a week in which Major League Baseball announced a marketing partnership with MGM Resorts, the era of “No Betting Permitted” signs at ballparks is over, and the fans seem to love it.

But it is a double edge sword – 61% say they believe that legal betting on sports events leads to cheating or the fixing of games.

But oh that 70% of heightened interested in watching games is music to a sports league’s ears. Within that, the poll found that 88% of those age 18-29, the coveted demographic loved by sponsors and hardest to reach – would be more likely to watch if they placed a bet.

“Watching is the first step towards creating a paying fan,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute of the Stillman School of Business. “In the 1980s, the leagues became aware that fantasy sports were heightening interest, and eventually, they embraced it. Now they appear to be ‘all in’ with something once impossible to imagine.”

The poll was conducted this week across to country to 741 adults on landlines and cellphones, and has a +/- 3.7% margin of error.

Asked if they were more likely to bet on a game if they could do it with their cellphones, 64% of those 18-29 said they would do it. 40% of the overall sample said they would be more likely.

Younger people, in fact, have less resistance to gambling. On the question of whether legalized sports gambling is creating a compulsive gambling problem, only 5% of those 18-29 strongly agreed, while the number grew to some five times that among older respondents. (21% of those 30-44, 28% 45-59 and 30% over 60).

40% said they approved of the Supreme Court’s ruling that betting on professional sports could be declared legal by individual states, with only 16% disapproving. The gender breakdown was dramatic here, with 52% of men favoring the court’s decision, but only 28% of women.

The gender gap repeated in a question of whether betting should be limited to pro sports or extended to college sports. 42% said pro and college, 35% said just pro – but 51% of men said pro and college, with only 33% of women agreeing.

Of the 33% who say they have bet sports, 51% believe gambling leads to cheating or fixing of games vs. 61% of the overall public.

Of the 33% who say they have bet on sports, 31% agree that legalized sports gambling is creating a compulsive gambling problem in this country (43% overall agreed); 49% said they would be more likely to wager if it was legal in their state (vs. 31% overall), 77% said they would be more likely to watch games they bet on (vs. 70% overall), and 56% said they would be more likely to gamble on sports if they could bet using a cellphone (vs. 40% overall).

This poll was conducted by telephone November 26-28 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute at the University’s Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

South Orange, NJ, May 16, 2018 — Concern over the integrity of sports results has gone hand in hand with the question of legalized gambling over the years, and Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which ended the federal ban on sports wagering, has intensified the discussion even further.

The most recent Seton Hall Sports Poll (conducted April 23-25 among 736 adults in the U.S. with a +/- 3.7% margin of error), found that 48% feel legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events.

This was consistent with a poll taken by the SHSP in 2014, when 49% answered affirmatively to the same question. When the question was posed in 2012, 53% said the sports integrity would be negatively impacted.

“People tend to be in favor of gambling on games, but a large number – nearly half the population, believes the outcome of games could be subject to questioning,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Stillman School of Business and its Sharkey Institute. “ Whether the games are fixed or not isn’t the question so much as whether public confidence is eroded. That’s a big problem for sports leagues.”

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone April 23-25 among 736 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute, with cell phone interviewing provided by Braun Research.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Would you be in favor of betting on just professional events or should betting on collegiate events be legal as well?

Just professional 36

Both professional and collegiate 49

Don’t know/No opinion 15

Do you think legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events?

Yes 48

No 42

Don’t know/No opinion 10

The US Supreme Court is about to rule on whether states should be allowed to legalize betting on sports events or whether it should be up to the federal government to decide. Do you think sports betting should be under state control or federal control?

Two Years of College vs One?
41% Favor Raising the Age Limit for NBA Eligibility;

Number who Say ‘Scholarship is Sufficient’ for Student-Athlete Compensation Trending Down

South Orange, NJ, March 23, 2017 — A clear majority of the American public believes that television revenue generated by the NCAA Basketball Tournament has turned collegiate athletics into too big a business, detracting from a university’s academic goals.

Fifty-three percent (53%) responded “yes” to that question in a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week among 739 adults across the country. Thirty-five percent (35%) responded “no.” The poll has a +/- 3.7% margin of error and is conducted with both landline and cellphone users. The poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute.

When asked, however, how much importance universities place on graduating basketball players – 58% said they believed the schools placed either a high or medium importance on graduation. This is about even (59%) from a similar Seton Hall Sports Poll taken five years ago.

Both the NBA Commissioner and the president of the NCAA have suggested raising the minimum age for eligibility in the NBA draft from 19 to 20. That essentially raises the commitment to college basketball from one year to two years. 19% thought it should remain at one year, but 41% favored two years. 26% said there should be no limits. When asked this question two years ago, 12% favored one year, and 56% two years with 23% saying no limits.

63% felt requiring an extra year of eligibility in college was a good thing, even if it meant losing a year of professional salary. 26% said no to the extra year requirement. When asked this question in 2014, 73% favored staying in school, a significant drop.

NUMBER WHO SAY ‘SCHOLARSHIP IS SUFFICIENT’ IS TRENDING DOWN

“Yes” Responses, 2012, 2013, 2017

45% of the nation felt student/athletes should not share in TV revenue or receive a salary for participating, with 40% saying they are exploited by not sharing in the revenue and should receive compensation. Men are more likely than women to believe that the students are being exploited, and people 18-44 are much more likely to believe that the students are exploited than those over 45.

60% felt providing a scholarship was sufficient for athletes, whereas 69% (2012) and 71% (2013) in previous Seton Hall Sports Polls felt providing a scholarship was sufficient. 35% believe the athletes should receive some form of salary or salary/scholarship.

“The public seems to be more sympathetic to increasing fees to student/athletes above scholarship,” noted Rick Gentile, Director of the Poll. “This is in sync with major conferences beginning to offer additional ‘cost of attendance’ aid to student/athletes.”

On the matter of whether people fill out a set of brackets or participate in a poll over this year’s tournament, 13% said they did. 35% of the nation says they follow the tournament either closely or very closely.

Interest in the tournament vs. the NBA playoffs is virtually even, with 30% saying they are more interested in the NCAA and 29% the NBA. But when asked the same question in 2014, 39% said the NCAA and only 22% said the NBA. In 2011, 44% said NCAA and 29% said NBA.

46% of respondents felt that most (or all) colleges break the rules in recruiting athletes, the same number as when the question was asked in 2013.

Asked who makes better role models and given a choice of five options, 52% said teachers, 17% said coaches, 9% said college athletes, 9% said pro athletes, and 3% said politicians.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone March 20-22 among 739 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The commissioner of the NBA and the president of the NCAA have suggested raising the minimum age for eligibility to the NBA draft from 19 to 20. In effect this means players would have to attend two years of college instead of one year as it is now. Do you think the rule should be left as it is now at one year, change to two years, or have no limits for when a player can be drafted?

One year 19%

Two years 41

No limits 25

Don’t know 15

Do you think requiring another year of school for student/athletes is a good thing for them even though they could lose a year of pro salary?

Yes 63

No 26

Don’t know 11

Do you think student/athletes who participate in revenue generating sports should receive a salary from their school, a salary plus scholarship or do you think a scholarship is enough compensation?

Salary 6

Salary plus scholarship 29

Scholarship 60

Don’t know 5

Which of the following statements do you most agree with:

Student/athletes are given a great opportunity to be able to participate in the NCAA Tournament and should not share in TV revenue or receive a salary for their participation. 45

Student/athletes are exploited by the NCAA Tournament because they don’t share in the TV revenue and should receive a salary for their participation 40

Neither (DON’T READ) 3

Both (DON’T READ) 2

Don’t know 11

How closely have you been following this year’s NCAA Tournament, very closely, closely,

not closely or not at all?

Very closely 13

Closely 21

Not closely 30

Not at all 36

Did you fill out a set of brackets or participate in a pool involving money for this year’s tournament?

Yes 13

No 83

Refuse to answer 4

Do you think the selection process to participate in the tournament is fair to all division one schools or do you think schools from the major conferences have an advantage?

Fair 24

Major conf. have advantg. 46

Don’t know 30

Which event are you more interested in, the NCAA Tournament or the NBA playoffs or are you not interested in either?

NCAA Tournament 30

NBA Playoffs 29

Neither 34

Don’t know 7

Do you think the television revenue generated by the NCAA Tournament has turned collegiate athletics into too big a business that detracts from a University’s academic goals?

Yes 53

No 35

Don’t know 12

How much importance do you think universities place on graduating basketball players, a high importance, medium importance, little importance or no importance?

High importance 25

Medium importance 33

Little importance 21

No importance 8

Don’t know 13

How many college basketball programs do you think break the rules in recruiting athletes, all of them, most of them, very few of them or none of them?

All 9

Most 37

Very few 34

None 4

Don’t know 16

Do you think it hurts the game when colleges recruit athletes they know won’t stay for the full duration of their eligibility?

Yes 48

No 40

Don’t know 13

Who do you think make better role models, college athletes, pro athletes, coaches, teachers or politicians?

South Orange, NJ, September 23, 2016 — By a margin of 33% – 28%, Americans support the NCAA decision to pull their national tournaments out of North Carolina in the wake of what it called the state’s anti-LGBT laws.

39% had no opinion, or did not know.

The poll was conducted this week among 875 adults on both landlines and cellphones across the nation. (There is a margin of error of +/- 3.4%).

“There is no overwhelming position on this,” said Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute. “Like the issue itself, there is division, but we believe the NCAA will be buoyed by this show of support on a matter still evolving in public opinion.”

Rick Gentile was interviewed by Seth Everett for a podcast on the poll’s findings.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone September 19-21 among 875 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The NCAA recently announced it was moving 6 collegiate championship events out of North Carolina because of what it referred to as the state’s anti-LGBT laws. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion on the NCAA’s stance?

The Seton Hall Sports Poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute, brought to you by The Stillman School of Business, and directed by Rick Gentile – a faculty member at Seton Hall University and 10 time Emmy Award winner for his work as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of CBS Sports.